Chapter 6: Congress

Article I

congress was established as the centralized institutions of the national government

Delegate

a representation who closely follows constituent preferences

Trustee

a representative who relies more heavily on personal judgment

Agency Representation

a type of representation in which people have the power to hire and fire their representatives

Apportionment

the process of dividing/allocating the 435 seats in the House of Representatives among the 50 states based on population changes

Redistricting

the process in which state legislature redraw congressional district boundaries following a census to ensue each distict has roughly equal populations

Gerrymandering

the redrawing of electoral district boundaries to favor one political party or group over another

Incumbency Advantage

an electoral edge held by current officeholders (incumbents) over challenges when seeking reelection

Franking

a privilege granted to members of Congress that allows them to send mail and official communication without having to pay for postage by using their signature instead

Casework

personalized assistance provided by members of Congress to people who have complaints which helps build strong local goodwill and loyalty

Patronage

the direct distribution of resources, government job, grants or favors by political officeholders to loyal party supporters

Pork-Barrel Legislation

decisions made by legislative bodies for localized projects that primarily benefit a specific members home district to secure local voter support

The differences between constituency in the house and senate

house has narrower and localized districts within states. The Senate is broader and statewide constituencies

The differences between term length in the house and senate

house members serve 2 years to allow for constant responsiveness while the senate serves for 6 years

The differences between size in the house and senate

the house has 435 members while the senate has 100 members

The differences between debate and rules in the house and senate

the house is highly regulated and limited by the rules committee while the senate is unrestricted with extended debates

The differences between the special powers in the house and senate

the house initiates all revenue and brings articles of impeachment. the senate confirms presidential appointments, ratifies treaties and tries impeachment

Speaker of the House

the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, leader of the majority party and the second in the presidential line of succession. The speaker controls the legislative agenda, assigning bills to committees and recognizing members to peak on the floor

Majority and Minority Leaders

the majority leader assists the Speaker or holds the power to schedule legislation and build party unity. The minority leader leads the opposition party, coordinates stragity and acts as the chief spokesperson for their parties agenda

Whips

assistant leaders who track how party members plan to vote on upcoming legislation

Party Caucuses/ Conferences

the organization of all the members in a specific party within a chamber. They regularly meet to elect leadership, set legislative priorities and discuses policy

Standing Committees

permanent, core legislative panels established by Congress with jurisdiction over specific policy areas. They review, amend and draft legislation before it reaches the floor

Subcommittees

smaller subdivisions of standing communities that focus on more specialized subsets of a committees work, holding initial hearings and refining bills

Committee Jurisdiction

the defined policy domain or subject matter assigned to a specific committee, determining which bills and issues fall under its authority

Gatekeeping Authority

the power of congressional committees to decide whether a bill or proposal will even be considered and moved forward for debate or effectively killed by inaction

Congressional Staff and Support Agencies

aids who draft legislation, conduct research and handle peoples casework, alongside nonpartisan congressional support agencies that provide expert data and analysis

Congressional Caucus

informal groups of members of Congress formed around shared interest, ideology goals, demographics or regional concerns o advocate for specific policies

Oversight

congresses constitutional responsibility to monitor, review and supervise the executive branch, federal agencies and the implementation of law through hearings, investigations and budget controls to prevent corruption and ensure executive compliance

How does a bill become a law

Introduction - committee/subcommittee - floor consideration - house/senate passage - reconciliation of differences - presidential action

House Rules Committee

a unique committee in the house that acts as a “traffic stop” for legislation. Before a bill can reach the house floor for debate it has to go though the house rules committee to set the rules and terms of the debate

Open Rule

a rule issued by the rules committee that permits members to offer relevant amendments from the floor during debate, giving the minority party or dissenters a chance to alter a bill

Closed Rule

a rule that strictly prohibits or severely limits the introduction of any amendments from the floor during debate, giving the minority party or dissenters a chance to alter the bill

Filibuster

a procedural tactic used exclusively in the U.S. Senate to prolong debate, delay action or obstruct a vote on a bill or presidential nomination. Because the senate values unlimited debate, a senator can hold the floor and talk indefinitely useless a supermajority votes to stop them

Cloture

a procedure motion used in the US Senate to cut off debate and bring a bill or nomination to a direct vote, effectively ending a filibuster. 3/5 have to vote (60 senators)

Conference Committee

a temporary committee composed of senior members of both house and senate. It happens when the house and the senate pass different versions of the same bill to recoil the differences

Veto

the constitutional power of the president to reject or refuse to sign a bill passed by Congress

Veto Override

the power of congress to reverse a presidential veto and enact a bill into law. This requires 2/3 vote in the House and Senate

Constituencies

voters and residences living within a members district of state. Representative are heavily influenced by them to win re-election

Interest Groups

organized groups of citizens or business that try to influence lawmakers though policy research, campaign contributions, lobbying and mobilizing public pressure

Political Parties

high-ranking offices who use procedural control to encourage party discipline and keep members voting together

Logrolling

a legislative practice where member of Congress agree to support each others bills or project. essential trading votes

The President

the head of the executive branch who uses the state of the union address, legislative initiatives, public appeals and the threat of a veto to pressure Congress and shape the national legislative agenda

The Senate’s Advice and Consent Powers

Article III, section 2 says the Senate possesses a deck on the executive branch though its “advice and consent” responsibilities. This requires the president to secure the approval of the Senate for major executive and judicial appointments as well as international treaties

Congresses role in impeachments

the process is split between the two-chambers of Congress as a vitle check and balance. This of the House as the accessor and the Senate as the trial